The 2007 “Power of Positive Change” Appreciative Inquiry Conference is coming up Sept. 16-19 in Orlando Florida. The conference organizers have just announced that a special 2007 Appreciative Inquiry Conference price of only $1,395 (retail $1,895) for those who register before August 15 and enter code PITK55 during check-out. The conference promises to teach participants how to unleash innovation and entrepreneurial spirit, develop higher levels of trust and mutual respect, and accelerate the cycle of change initiatives in their organizations. Keynote speakers include: Leading researcher […] (continue)

The 2007 International Appreciative Inquiry Conference is scheduled for September 16-19, 2007 at the Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts in Orlando Fl. The Conference represents an unprecedented opportunity to expand the strengths-based positive change knowledge base and create an expanded appreciation for the significance of AI as a change methodology for management. This is a very important event to the AI Community; and the organizers hope that members of the NCDD network will be able to take advantage of this great opportunity. The organizers are offering a $100 […] (continue)

Do you have big dreams for your community? The Case Foundation is launching a pilot grants program that could turn these dreams into reality. NCDD is listed as a Partner on the Case Foundation website since we will be doing our best to inform the dialogue & deliberation community about this opportunity – and since Case recognizes the importance of your work and encourages you to apply! The Make It Your Own Awards™, a new initiative from the Case Foundation that launches on June 26, […] (continue)

This year’s theme for Arsalyn’s annual youth conference is “Bridging the Partisan Divide: Rediscovering Deliberation,” and Arsalyn would like to encourage everyone in the NCDD network to think about who they work with between the ages of 16 and 20 who may benefit from attending. And if you’re one of our younger members, we strongly encourage you to apply yourself! Arsalyn will be inviting 120 young people ages 16-20 to the conference to learn the art of political deliberation. They are providing food, lodging, conference […] (continue)

The Perspectives Group is presenting the IAP2 Course in Public Participation three more times this year in Alexandria, VA. This training is designed for professionals working in the fields of community development, nonprofit and government public services, and public understanding and outreach. It is also designed for industry communications and public affairs or public relations, advocacy and lobbying organizations, private and government groups, and any individual/organization required to deal with the public about complex or potentially contentious issues. Upon completion of the full week of […] (continue)

Sandra Janoff & Marvin Weisbord, co-authors of the popular Berrett-Kohler book Future Search: An Action Guide to Finding Common Ground in Organizations & Communities, will be holding the only 2007 “Managing a Future Search” training in the U.S. from June 3-6, 2007 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania – and they are offering paid NCDD members a huge 30% discount! Future Search trains managers, facilitators and leaders to quickly turn dreams into action plans and reality. At “Managing a Future Search,” participants will learn the theory, philosophy, […] (continue)

We all know the power that stories hold to inspire people and help them understand complicated concepts (among other things). Many of us have talked about how we need to do a better job sharing our stories in this field, so that more people can understand why dialogue and deliberation are so important – and so desperately needed today. Please think about what stories you can tell about your work in this field. I’m working with Matt Leighninger (Director of the Deliberative Democracy Consortium) to collect […] (continue)

The Environment and Public Policy Section (EPP) of the Association for Conflict Resolution has opened registration for the 2007 EPP Section Conference. Held on the John D. MacArthur Campus of Florida Atlantic University, the conference starts in the early afternoon on Thursday, June 7, and ends at noon on Saturday, June 9, 2007. This year’s themes include: Collaborative Leadership and Institutional Change, Collaborative Leadership and Deliberative Democracy, Examining the Nature of Practice, and Integrating Collaborative Leadership and Practice. NCDD is a sponsor of the conference, […] (continue)

Eco-Vision 2007 (www.eco-vision.us) is a unique Conference and Gala defining a new path forward for the implementation of environmental and energy technologies. It is slated to take place on April 17 – 19, the week of Earth Day, in Washington D.C. This is an opportunity to collaborate and network with other environmental visionaries from the NGO community, academia, government, the private sector, the ambassadorial community, and others about the way solutions will be found and deployed in the future. We at NCDD would like to […] (continue)

As you may know, NCDD is switching from a totally free membership to a paid membership (with a pay-what-you-can/free option). One of the ways we’re trying to ease this tricky transition is by providing some great benefits for fully paid NCDD members – including discounts for a whole bunch of great trainings and courses. NCDD members who pay the full membership fee can take advantage of discounted rates (mostly 20%) for the following upcoming trainings: The Center for Strategic Facilitation’s Group Facilitation Methods Course – April […] (continue)